CHESTER’S relegation fears deepened this afternoon as they were well beaten by a Charlie MacDonald-inspired Brentford at Griffin Park.

MacDonald hit a stunning first-half hat-trick to condemn Mark Wright’s troubled Blues to a fourth successive League Two defeat and maintain the Bees’ promotion charge.

Injury and suspension-hit City, with five youth team players for substitutes once again, made one enforced change to the side that lost 2-0 at home to Rochdale in midweek, with Glenn Rule returning from a ban to replace hamstring-victim Richie Partridge.

Brentford welcomed back seven-goal Nathan Elder from a four-match suspension, but such is the form of strikers MacDonald and Jordan Rhodes, he had to settle for a place on the bench.

Rhodes, on loan from Ipswich Town, was lively from the first whistle, nearly forcing Paul Linwood into an own goal before shooting just wide inside the first five minutes.

But it was MacDonald who was to profit from Chester’s painfully-apparent fragile confidence in a totally one-sided opening period.

He took full advantage of a moment’s hesitation from Shaun Kelly to race on to Rhodes’ through pass and slot the ball past the onrushing John Danby to give the hosts a deserved 21st-minute lead.

And the Bees’ top-scorer doubled his tally 14 minutes later.

This time Rule was to blame as he was caught on the ball by Sam Wood, who crossed for MacDonald to clinically dispatch an angled drive wide of Danby.

Just when it seemed it couldn’t get any worse for the visitors, it did.

Firstly, Kelly limped off to be replaced by rookie Paul Smith before Anthony Barry upended Rhodes in first-half injury-time for a nailed-on penalty.

MacDonald, with only his third shot on target, drove the ball into the roof of the net to complete a 24-minute treble.

City boss Wright reorganised at the break, switching from a 3-5-2 formation to a 3-4-3 in a bid to salvage some pride.

Brentford continued to dominate, however, and they would have made it four shortly after the restart had captain Linwood not cleared off the line after Wood skipped past Danby and seemed set to score.

The Bees withdrew MacDonald for Elder midway through the half, but still they swarmed forward.

Alan Bennett headed substitute David Hunt’s corner against the bar before an heroic block from the impressive Kevin Roberts denied Elder a clear strike on goal.